A Time for Change

For some reason, some people think that Sarah Palin will be ready to be President by 2012.  In a new opinion poll announced by CNN today, 34% of republicans and independents who lean Republican are very likely to support Mike Huckabee should he be the Republican nominee.  32% support Sarah Palin.  Given the margin of error for the survery, there is a statistical tie between Pailin and Huckabee.  

“It might come as a surprise to some that Palin does better than Huckabee among GOP men but that Huckabee beats Palin among Republican women,” says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. “Palin’s strength is also concentrated among older Republicans, but Huckabee may have a slight edge among conservative Republicans.”

Among voters who consider themselves born again or evangelical, Huckabee draws more support than Palin, with a 9 point edge. Meanwhile, Palin holds a 7-point advantage among non-born again or evangelical voters.

OK, can someone explain to me the differnce between “born-again” and “evangelicals”?  YOU mean, evangelicals aren’t born-again?  That’s confusing.

Anyway, this is completely consistent with the Gallup and Rasmussen Polls  that I wrote about right after the election.   Moreoover, given her  campaign appearance for Saxby Chambliss, as I said before, this is not a woman who willgo away quietly and who I think has every intention of running if there is a crack in the door for her to bolt through.  Consider these polls her crack in the door.

Anyone who thinks of her as simply a total joke underestimates the power of the passage of time and the ability and likelihood of segments of the Amreican puiblic to give her a second chance.

Right or wrong, a number of people felt that she did not get the proper advice and made mistakes because she wasmthrust on the national statge without prpoer prep.  I think that a lot of that was the governor underestimating the intense scrutiny of a national race.  We are a little bit different downn here than they are in Alaska.  

Her viability for 2012 will depend on suppressing that propensity to be a “maverick,” i.e., try to make sense when she speaks because she can’t avoid media and run for president.   Also much will depend on how the governor uses her time between now and 2010 when she will have to commence her run for the presidency and garner support for the primaries.  She can certainly get help with polishing her act between now and then from professionals and I do not think she will make the same mistakes in 2010.

The other thing is, do we really know who she is?  I know that I absolutely hated the speech that she gave at the RNC convention and all of the hateful things that were said.   This was exacerbated by the divisive stumping that she later did when she said that Obama was palling around with terrorists, encouraging people to emphasize his middle name, Hussein, as if to imply that he has that Muslim sounding name, can you trust him.  And, of course, referring to his tax plan to provide tax relief to the middle class as a socialism. ( What was Bush’s tax relief package if not socialism for the wealthy?)

Bottom line, we sure are gonna be hearin’ from that darn Alaskan Governor for years to come and she ain’t just goin’ back to Alaska and disappearin’ after a good whippin’.  She’s gonna be poppin’ up all over the place between now and then and just waitin’ for Obama to make a mistake sos she can call it out.

I hold my breath and wish Obama all good things because the world is not ready for the Wasilla Hillbilly.